Afghan President Karzai says India is friend, but, Pak twin brother

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Afghan President Karzai says India is friend, but, Pak twin brother

Thursday March 11, 2010

ISLAMABAD: Afghan President Hamid Karzai said India has gone out of the way to help Afghanistan but Pakistan is twin brother of Afghanistan. He said his country would not allow its soil to be used against Pakistan, our sources reported Thursday.

Addressing a joint press conference here with Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani after signing the MoU, he said India has gone out of the way to help Afghanistan; but Pakistan is twin brother of Afghanistan, adding without cooperation from Pakistan, there could be no stability.

‘We are fighting against terrorism; I brought message from people of Afghanistan to the people of Pakistan,’ he said.

No country has ever showed more hospitality to Afghanistan than Pakistan, the Afghan president said adding both the countries discussed various affairs including agreements made on transit trade.

Responding a question regarding drone attacks in Pakistan, he said the issue is Pakistan-specific; accordingly, it was discussed neither in Afghanistan nor in the recent meetings in Pakistan.

However, PM Gilani said the drone attacks are counter-productive, as they force local people to join hands with terrorists against state and the Army.

Gilani said the government is trying to bring the US government round to the fact.

Karzai said, ‘We want future with no terrorism,’ adding peace is not likely to be restored in Afghanistan without the help from Pakistan.

Pakistan would be informed as and when Afghanistan receives some reports on terrorism, he stressed saying the terror wave is sweep away myriads precious lives and properties.

The PM Gilani said Pakistan has decided to enhance its cooperation with Afghanistan to eliminate the terrorism, adding bilateral ties between the two countries would be furthered.

Gilani said Pakistan will extend all possible succour to Afghanistan for its reconstruction, adding it was decided that the trade volume between the two countries would be ramped up.

‘We want to take the strategic partnership with Afghanistan forward,’ he added saying the war against terrorism will continue.

Pakistan understands Afghan plans and priorities, he observed.

Hamid Karzai said the destiny, grieves and happiness of both the countries are shared.

He said the ties between the two countries are on the path to being strengthened.

Responding a query, Karzai appreciated Indian efforts in Afghan reconstruction.

http://www.paktribune.com/news/index.shtml?225438

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Karzai tells Pakistan 'no proxy wars' in Afghanistan

Thursday, 11 Mar, 2010

Pakistan's Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, right, addresses a joint news conference with Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai at the prime minister's official residence and office, in Islamabad, Pakistan on Thursday, March 11, 2010. – AP

ISLAMABAD: Afghan President Hamid Karzai told Pakistan on Thursday his country did not want to become a battle ground for proxy wars and welcomed an offer from Islamabad to help with peace efforts.

Karzai met Pakistani leaders on his first visit to the neighbouring country - viewed with deep suspicion by many Afghans - since winning controversial elections last year and pledging to work towards peace talks with Taliban insurgents.

The Afghan president welcomed Islamabad's offers of support for Afghanistan's efforts at reconciliation, saying Pakistan “has a significantly important role to play in that and Afghanistan would welcome that role”.

Pakistan confirmed only the arrest of Mullah Adbul Ghani Baradar, described by US officials as number two to Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar but also reported to have been in contact with Afghan government officials.

Karzai's government has called on Islamabad to extradite Baradar but some analysts suggest he could become a bargaining chip for a Pakistan determined to have a say in Afghanistan's future.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said Pakistan was “consulting legal experts” with regard to the extradition request but reiterated willingness to assist Afghan-led peace efforts.

“In the pursuit of peace and development, for national reconciliation and reintegration, Pakistan places its full weight behind the agenda and the vision outlined by the Afghan people and their elected leadership,” he said.

“We will continue to assist the people of Afghanistan in every manner possible,” he added.

Analysts have pointed to growing competition between India and Pakistan for influence in Afghanistan, which has cast a further destabilising shadow over the nearly nine-year war.

Iran and the United States have also traded accusations of double dealing over the conflict in Afghanistan.

“Afghanistan does not want any proxy wars on its territory. It does not want a proxy war between India and Pakistan on Afghanistan.

“It does not want a proxy war between Iran and the United States on Afghanistan. It does not want any country... to engage in any activity against another country in Afghanistan,” he added.

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/...hanistan-ss-10

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Karzai's visit

EDITORIAL (March 14 2010): With almost the entire cabinet at the airport to welcome him, President Karzai was accorded an extraordinary protocol. This was meant to send a reassuring message that the government was keen to maintain warm relations with him at this critical juncture when the issue of holding talks with the Taliban is under discussion in Washington.

What is more, there is a growing recognition among the US-led coalition that no future arrangement in Afghanistan is likely to be viable if it ignores Pakistan's genuine interests. It is also being realised that as the Taliban leadership belongs to the Pushtun tribes straddling the Durand Line, Pakistan is in a position to play a role in bringing them on board.

The developments could be disturbing for Karzai who knows he enjoys the West's support only because there is no other alternative available. The developments are taking place amidst a trust deficit between Islamabad and Kabul. Karzai has spared no occasion to malign Pakistan, accusing it of providing safe havens to the Taliban, who then cross into Afghanistan to indulge in terrorist acts.

Further, he has claimed that Pakistan was harbouring the Quetta Shura. Pakistan is also concerned over India's increasing influence in Afghanistan. Among other things that worry Islamabad is the chain of consulates in Afghan districts along Pak-Afghan border, set up during the Karzai regime, which are being used to destabilise Pakistan.

Kabul has also provided shelter to separatists indulging in sabotage and terrorist activities in Balochistan. It is necessary, at this point, for both sides to make attempts aimed at reducing mutual distrust.

In his meetings with the civil and military leadership, Karzai reportedly said that Pakistan's concerns vis-à-vis India would be addressed. During the press conference with Prime Minister Gilani, Karzai tried to play a balancing act between India and Pakistan, pledging that he would not allow Afghan territory to be used for proxy wars against any country. While he acknowledged India's "contribution" to the development of Afghanistan and termed it a "friend", he called Pakistan a "conjoined twin".

Foreign ministers of the two countries agreed on a document for boosting trade and economic ties, collaboration in energy projects, strengthening communication links and promoting people-to-people contacts. It was also agreed to revive the bilateral jirga peace process, involving eminent tribal leaders from both the countries for evolving a consensus on how Pakistan and Afghanistan could cooperate in talks with the Taliban.

Discussions on the extradition of senior Taliban commander Mullah Baradar, however, remained inconclusive. Prime Minister Gilani told the press conference the extradition had been held up because of a court ruling and the government was consulting legal experts before responding to the Afghan request.

One welcomes the realisation by Karzai that Pakistan is as much a victim of terrorism as Afghanistan and that neither of the two countries can eliminate the scourge on its own. Despite maintaining that he was not here to indulge in finger pointing, Karzai nevertheless did indulge in a "hadn't I told you so" exercise while talking to a group of journalists.

Taking it for granted that there is a "Quetta Shura", he maintained it would be premature to say that it had become dysfunctional on account of the recent arrests. He said that it was now a fact that the Taliban were here and that's why they were being rounded up, "on which you have heard our opinion before, many times, in very clear words."

What Karzai conveniently forgets is that Kabul played a major role in the tragedy that was to unfold in Afghanistan by inviting in the Soviet troops. Later, Afghan leaders collaborated with the US to fight a proxy war against the Soviet Union and at a later stage to overthrow the Taliban. Pakistan was meanwhile left to deal with the consequences of these misadventures.

These brought into Pakistan millions of Afghan refugees as well as militant networks that continue to play havoc in Afghanistan and Pakistan. While Karzai supported the policy of reintegration and reconciliation and said he was willing to go all out to talk to anyone and everyone in the Taliban movement provided they were willing to sever their links with al Qaeda, he was reluctant to recognise that Pakistan was playing an important role in this respect.

Despite a promise to keep Pakistan on board about any political engagement with the Taliban, he was keen to indicate that he was the sole person having authority to negotiate with the Taliban and Pakistan could at best play a collaborative role. Karzai still fails to understand that Pakistan has to play a crucial role in the parleys. The sooner Kabul realises that there is a need not to side-track Pakistan in any future settlement with the militants, the better for the peace process.

http://www.brecorder.com/index.php?i...term=&supDate=

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Towards Pak-Afghan Harmonization

Tuesday March 16, 2010

“No country has ever showed more hospitality to Afghanistan than Pakistan, and that his country (Afghanistan) would not allow its soil to be used against Pakistan.” These were the wordings of the Afghan President, Hamid Karzai during the joint press conference between him and Pakistani Premier, Yousaf Raza Gilani on the conclusion of a daylong visit of the former to Pakistan on March 11, 2010.

Earlier both countries agreed for a joint fight against the terrorism and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the augmentation of bilateral relationship. Declaring Pakistan and Afghanistan as the “twin brothers,” President Karzai further said that the “destiny, grieves and happiness of both the countries are shared.” On this occasion, Prime Minister Gilani assured the visiting President that, “We want to take the strategic partnership with Afghanistan forward.” Moreover, Pakistan would enhance its cooperation with Afghanistan to eliminate the terrorism, and bilateral ties between the two countries would be further enhanced.

The resilience shown by either side is being envisioned as the glimmer of hope for the beginning of a new chapter in the bilateral relationship of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Unfortunately, the history of Pak-Afghan relationship is an account of uneven correlation. There has hardly been a period of good will and cooperation between these two brotherly Muslim countries, linking various regions and civilizations of Asia. Why there has been a gulf in their mutual relationship, who has been playing in-between, and how long would it continue, is indeed a fruit for thought for over 200 million people of both countries? The significant factor, which has to be kept in mind, is that, after all, they have to live together, since neighbours cannot be changed.

The buoyant joint statement of the two leaders indeed, is reflective of the lessons they learnt during their prolonged uncooperative history, especially after the incident of 9/11. In this regards, Pakistani efforts at various tiers has played a vital role. The Afghan Government has now realized the significance of incessant Pakistani pursuance for the CBMs and emphasis for the adoption of a collective fight against the terrorism. Pakistan has always been critical to the role of extra-regional powers in the internal affairs of Afghanistan and in the bilateral relationship of Pakistan and Afghanistan. So much so the US and NATO countries, with whom, Pakistan is playing the role of a frontline state and as a partner in the global war on terror has been suspicion of the Pakistani role.

During the meeting of the NATO’s Military Committee in Chiefs of Defence Staff (CHODs) held in Brussels on January 26-27, 2010, the Pakistani Chief of Army Staff, General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, adequately highlighted the role played by Pakistan in the war on terror. Indeed, Pakistan lost over twenty five thousand lives during last nine years, since the beginning of this war. The casualties of security forces of Pakistan are much more than what the coalition and Afghans forces have collectively suffered in these years. General Kayani’s presentation on the Pakistan’s contribution indeed, removed the misperception of the NATO countries about the Pakistani role in the global war on terror. Thereafter, the Western world has changed its perception about the Pakistani role and vision.

Sequel to this meeting General Kayani, briefed the foreign and domestic press about the outcome of the meeting in Rawalpindi. During the course of the meeting, he categorically said that, “We cannot wish for Afghanistan anything that we don’t wish for Pakistan.” Since Pakistanis desire peace, stability, and economic prosperity for their country, therefore, they ought to wish similar comforts for their brethrens of Afghanistan. Furthermore, three decades of war, factional fighting, and the internal instability in Afghanistan has brought us to the conclusion that, stability and peace in Pakistan is directly proportional to these factors in Afghanistan. Indeed, the statement of Chief of Army Staff was the factor compelled Afghan President to say that, “the destiny, grieves and happiness of both the countries are shared.”

In the aftermath of US invasion of Afghanistan, India, a noncontiguous country, intruded in Afghanistan in a big way. Initially it assumed the responsibility of reconstruction of infrastructure of Afghanistan, but subsequently, it took over the responsibilities of other projects in that country. So much so, that Indian Army was given the responsibility to undertake the training of Afghan National Army (ANA), Afghan secret services and Afghan National Police (ANP). Besides, the Indian training teams, training Afghans on their soil, over 100 Afghan senior defence officials are being trained every year in India`s military institutions. It is worth mentioning that a huge number of the Indian army officers and lower ranks have been especially deputed to teach basic military field-crafts and English-language skills to personnel of ANA. Afghan police officers and foreign ministry officials have also attended training courses in India. Afghanistan is getting Indian help in the training of Afghan pilots and technicians for using its helicopter-gunships.

Afghan education system is yet another area where India has been given a key role to play. Now it is to the imagination of the Afghan people to know, as what would be the ethical condition of its future generation after having gone through the Indian founded educational system and training of its security setup (ANA, ANP and spying agency). Pakistan feels that Indian trained ANA and ANP will be on the warpath to all its neighbours, mainly Muslim countries, and People’s Republics of China. Apart from its geographically contagious neighbours, these Indian trained troops will be in conflict with basic Muslim cultural and social setup of that country even. Besides, promoting internal clashes, these troops will maintain the current state of volatility, distrust, and hostility with Pakistan. Indeed India and Afghanistan are two different countries, with different values, culture, and different future requirements. Therefore, the Indian trained ANA would further destabilize the region as a whole. This state of affairs would neither suit coalition nor to Pakistan and Afghanistan.

In order to save Afghanistan from the lukewarm effects of these factors, General Kayani offered Afghan Government for the assistance in the training of ANA and ANP. Indeed, this step would greatly reduce the current instability and hostilities along the Pak-Afghan border by promoting harmony among the security forces of Pakistan and Afghanistan, as both countries share common terrain and borders to defend. Moreover, they have the similar cultural and historical values and milieus and ideological harmony. This is only possible once there are common trainers having corresponding training parameters for both armies. In fact, Afghans should not forget the experience of getting their Army trained from the former Soviet Union in 1970s. The result of the Soviet trained troops, teachers, doctors, other officials, and even politicians brought them in clash with the traditional Afghan society in late 1970s. That clash of ideas finally led to the Soviet invasion. Afghan society had enough of that, in the form of thirty years factional fighting, foreign invasions, and internal strife. Do they still want Russian like Indian invasion? Afghan should question themselves and later from their Indian friends too, that, why they (Indians) are so much concerned about Afghan people. Why should they forget the Indian role during Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1980s? Being part of the Communist camp, India fully supported the Soviet Union globally as well as regionally and considered the invasion as justified.

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Indeed, through the offer for the training of ANA and ANP, Pakistan envisions to bring the stability in the Afghanistan in the first phase and stabilization of the whole region thereafter. Besides, the offer would help in the implementation of the President Obama’s recently conceived “exit strategy” from Afghanistan, largely by paving way for the gradual restitution of peace in the region. The vision behind the offer is that “We cannot wish for Afghanistan anything that we don’t wish for Pakistan.” What all Pakistan wish for is a peaceful, stable and friendly Afghanistan. If visualized precisely, the Coalition forces and Afghan administration should be very happy on this offer, as it would surely lessen the ceaseless fighting in Afghanistan in the near future. Did not successful Pakistani military operations during 2009, help in lessening the militancy in Afghanistan, by constricting space for the terrorists. This evidence indeed should become a lead point for the materialization of the Pakistani offer of the training to ANA and ANP. This indeed would be a “win-win for Afghanistan, the United States, ISAF, and Pakistan.”

Besides, sharing common values, culture, and comparable stakes, both countries have a history of interdependence. Foreign interferences, influences, and imperialism cannot force the people to think differently. Pakistan visualizes a peaceful, stable, and economically affluent Afghanistan. It also wishes the Afghanistan freed from the foreign interferences and forays with an ethnically cohesive society. The wish for a stable Afghanistan is the collective voice of 170 million people of Pakistan. They can no more see their Afghan Brethren in a state of melancholy. The visionary offer of the Pakistani Army Chief for the training of ANA and ANP has the backing from the whole nation. Indeed, they stood behind Pakistan Army in curbing the militancy from Pakistan and have the enduring desire of peace and stability in both countries. The vision behind the offer indeed is a sincere endeavour to save Afghanistan from another debacle or colonialism.

http://www.paktribune.com/news/index.shtml?225602